Geologist's primary goal is to reconstruct Earth's complete history. In most areas only a small portion of interest exists, making study fragmented. The Waterpocket Fold in Capitol Reef National Park, is an unusual Geological wonder. This classic warp in the Earth's crust runs the length of the park for a hundred miles, from Thousand Lake Mountain, south to Lake Powell. The park was established to protect this natural feature. A fold is an area where flat lying rock is forced into a ridge, much like pushing opposite edges of a sheet of paper together. Each side of the ridge is called a limb. The Waterpocket Fold, a monocline, having only one limb.
Erosion has etched out depressions in the sandstone, creating waterpockets. Weathering has also created some of the park's most interesting features, including natural arches, massive domes and colorful canyons.